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Three new 750s Charge into the Euro Market for 2011, New GSX-R600 for the USA?

Three-quarters of a liter. If you remember the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, that displacement category dominated the streetbike market. Not too big, not too small, a perfect blend of light weight and big-bore power. The 750 was so popular, in fact, that the Reagan-era International Trade Comission even picked it as the dividing line between light and heavyweight bikes during the mid-’80s motorcycle trade war waged with Japan. And don’t forget that for years, both World and AMA Superbike raced the 750.

Now, two decades later, the 750 is almost gone from our shores, and models like the Kawasaki Z750S quietly disappear after a season or two. But in Europe, the middleweight sport-standard category is one of the best-selling, and there is a lot of choice in that segment. The bikes are usually a little de-tuned from their sportbike cousins, and have budget frames, brakes and suspension to keep costs down, but they are still light, fast and good-handling enough to make great all-around rides.

To ramp up interest in its products before the big Milan EICMA show in November, Suzuki motors released this tantalizing sketch of a GSX-R750-powered sport-standard, the GSR750. The rumor mill claims it’ll use a detuned version of the latest GSX-R750 motor (which makes about 148 hp), a cast-aluminum chassis and budget-y brake and suspension components. That follows news of a new Kawasaki Z750R, which is a hotted-up version of the Euro-market Z750, with upgraded brakes, suspension and graphics.

Naked sporty-standards like the GSR750, the Yamaha FZ-8 and Honda CBF600S sell in huge numbers—here, not so much. We’d be surprised to see the new GSR750 in the States, given Suzuki’s limited product line for 2010 and 2011 and the fact that standards like this comprise less than two percent of a shrinking (still!) U.S. motorcycle market. Same goes for the Z750R, but that’s not a bad thing: we have the all-new-for 2010 Z1000, which is lighter, faster and not that much more money than the Z750, which is basically a sleeved-down 2007-2009 Z1000.

What should excite us is a new GSX-R600 and GSX-R750. Suzuki leaked this artist’s sketch of the GSX-R600 that will be unveiled at the Cologne motorcycle show next month. Sources report the motor will be a ground-up re-design, as is the chassis, promising less weight, more power and better handling. Suzuki usually sends the USA its latest sportbike, so we’d expect to get it here, but since Suzuki USA has told us it will be selling but 10 street and dirt models total for 2011 (although more could be announced), we may have to sit it out while the Euros have all the fun.

Of course, we still don’t know if we’ll see a 750 version, which usually appears when a new GSX-R600 gets introduced. Again, the weak bike market could interrupt Suzuki’s plans to bring in the 750 until things get better. If you want a middleweight sportbike that isn’t the run-of-the-mill Japanese inline-four 600, you’ll have to be happy with Triumph’s Daytona (or Street Triple if you want something more upright), Ducati’s 848 EVO or maybe Yamaha’s FZ-8, which will be sold here for 2011.

Hmm. Maybe the 750 isn’t dead after all. Still, it’d be nice to see a better, faster, lighter GSX-R750 return for 2011 or 2012—it’s not a sleeved-down 1000, it’s a punched-out 600, which makes it a fun and balanced sportbike; no wonder it’s one of the most popular ever made and the sole survivor in the 750 supersport category. Bring it back, Suzuki!

58 Comments

  1. sparky says:

    Love the new UJM standard Honda 1100 and think it will be sld in N.America, otherwise why has Honda produced english videos and marketting. I will be first in line to buy one.
    Finally a classic bike.

  2. T. Rollie says:

    Rhetorical question: has any motorcycle ever achieved that “perfect balance” whereby it should just be made year-after-year, essentially unchanged? Maybe the 650 V-strom. How about the Ducati 916? (We can ask the Harley guys, they’ll agree the perfect bike was made about 60 years ago and should never be changed.) Personally, I think the Z1000 will be one of those bikes. I’d buy one now, I’d buy it 15 years from now….

    • William says:

      The KLR 650 had a 20 year run, pretty much unchanged. They must have have found the right mix of components, engine size and price. I have 2 friends who have ’em and both are happy to keep ’em.

      • mickey says:

        There are several of bikes besides the KLR that have had 20 year runs virtually unchanged, 750 Honda DOHC series, Kawasaki Concours, Harley Davidson Sportster, Honda Twinstar/Rebel to name a few (Honda Gold Wing if you don’t want to count displacement increases and cylinder multiplication). Fill a niche, get it right, and people will buy it for many years, sometimes decades.

    • todd says:

      No one will ever be happy re-buying the same bike over and over again (well, maybe not no one). As far as I can tell, just about every bike was perfect for what it was. They can always turn the Ninja 250 into a Ninja 1000 since it “doesn’t have enough power, needs better brakes, yada yada…” If you consider that today’s entry level motorcycle is 10 times more powerful than what was considered entry level 40 years ago (the SV650 is nearly as powerful as the Z1 was) the manufacturers apparently have felt good enough was not good enough either.

  3. Alex says:

    +1 on the idea of an SV650 in 750 or 800 !! I had a Norton 750, for the time, it was fast and nimble. The SV with some motor would be just as much fun !!

    • todd says:

      and you do realize that your 650 SV has appreciably more power than the Norton? If you need more power for some reason, you can always pick up the SV1000 or the TL1000R.

  4. mickey says:

    While it’s true there will never be a large market for naked standards, it’s also true that there will never be a large market for Motards or Adventure bikes. I’d go so far as to say there will never be a large market for anything other than race replicas or cruisers. So those of us who don’t ride repli-racers or cruisers are just fighting over the scraps the mfgs are willing to throw out in small numbers. But you know what I don’t want to ride what everyone else is riding anyway. We have a saying we like to chuckle over while riding on weekends…”oh look, another rare black hog”… usually said as a pack of 20-30 roar past. And that’s fine with me, I just don’t want to get in that line.

    The problem with adventure bikes (IMO) is they are designed for solo riders, long of leg, with big imaginations and fat wallets. They are too big and too heavy to actually go off road anywhere a standard couldn’t go (unless you are sponsored by BMW), so why do they need 12″ of suspension travel? If it weren’t for that, they probably WOULD be the next generation of naked standards. And Motards? Seriously?

    I think BMW has done a heck of a job as a mfg now that they have “diversified”. They have the standard boxer twins, parallel twins, inline 4’s and soon an inline 6. They have tourers, adventure bikes, sport tourers and repli-racers. Not bad for a pretty small mfg. Their rep has taken a hit of late with the drive line failures but overall they are still a very respected brand. I recently rented a BMW R1200R (naked standard)on an Edelweiss Alps tour and it was as close to ideal for me as I can find except for 3 things (1) the passenger seat sucked for my wife (2) there is no BMW dealer even close to me (3)it’s my understanding they are discontinued for 2011. I know why Japan doesn’t build a bike like that (they don’t sell in big enough numbers) but I can still dream.

    Ducati, Aprilia, KTM, MV etc offers someone like myself very little other than expensive, fragile bikes I don’t want, coupled with a non existant dealer network.

    I know…I’m a dinosaur

    • William says:

      Good Post, I agree that BMW is doing a good job with diversifying their brand. Just in 1 engine alone (parallel twin) they have built 4 very different models to choose from.

      You don’t necessarily need a fat wallet to ride an adventure bike though. My friends with KLR’s aren’t exactly well off. I wouldn’t mind a V-Strom for long trips, doesn’t seem like it would cost me more than any regular street bike to travel.

      • mickey says:

        William, you are right of course. I was referring to the BMW, the Aprilia, the Yamaha and the Moto Guzzi liter plus adventure bikes. The KLR and the SV are really nice affordable bikes. For what it’s worth I considered a Wee Strom but I can’t reach the ground while sitting on it. Same with the Versys which is another affordable bike that a lot of owners seem to love.

  5. Dave says:

    With the soon to be released adventurer from Triumph rumored to be in the 800cc range, looks like Triumph does not consider this cc market dead.

    I can’t wait for this one. Will have a Tiger 1050 for sale if it is as good as the hype.

  6. John says:

    Look at how well the Kaw ZRX did here in the states. If you give a bike decent power, style, and suspension, then folks will buy it. Not everything has to be a SBK for the street. As for the 1200 V-Twins, lets hope someone makes a good street standard out of one. If Harley ever gets a good engine, then they would kill everyone with their retro styled XR.

    • Gabe says:

      Really? How well did the ZRX do? How many did Kawi sell? I’ll bet under 3000 a year. Kawi probably made more money selling T-Shirts.

      “If you give a bike decent power, style, and suspension, then folks will buy it.”

      I’ve heard this many, many times from readers over the past 6 seasons, but none of them ever seem to be able to do a 30-second Google search for motorcycles sold in the USA by category. Turns out about than 2% are standards. Face it: Americans don’t buy naked bikes in any numbers greater than rounding errors. And that’s a shame.

      • Justin says:

        Personally, I ride sportbikes because they have the best acceleration, braking and handling. Yeah, these are all traits designed to make the bike faster, but in my opinion they also make the bike much safer at any speed. At least, they enable me to escape bad situations which another bike could not. This is the only true measure of safety on a motorcycle.

        Now, I would love to have a naked bike that takes advantage of all the technology, equipment, and especially the geometry of a sportbike. But why pay full price for a bike that I can find lying on the side of the road next to a dead squid?

  7. Gerry says:

    Has anyone considered that the VFR Interceptor was discontinued and was/is arguably still one of the best all around runners? The VFR 1200 is nice but pricey and the Interceptors can be picked up relatively cheap. I have a 140 mile round trip commute and have come to absolutely love the bike.

  8. jerrylee says:

    Suzuki concept- Glad the Gladious designer didn’t get his hand in this one.

    • jimbo says:

      Generally, yes, I agree the Gladius is beyond horrid.

      But at least consider this: the demographic for “disposable income” (90%+ of USA bike sales are pure luxury, amusement) is in permanent lean toward the female gender and away from the male variety.

      Any business making things to sell, and I underscore any, with the exception of things made solely for male use (even then women can purchase for men), that does not aggressively court, market, and sell to women is in a death spiral. This is the math, plain and simple. This is about as certain as any business making things and lacking international presence. (Along these lines my new company primeVibe launches in Singapore then Shanghai…we may skip NAMM in the USA.) This premise is as certain as the demographic math showing that within 20 years the entire European continent will be Muslim (a preeminent demographic PhD says, “The only question is how much blood will be shed” (Michael Scheuer, “Marching Toward Hell”). BTW, I have no problem with that, it is not stated for thrill or shock effect, it’s just a virtually foolproof mathematical reality.

      I don’t watch TV. Once or twice a year when I stumbled upon it and notice the commercials. My first hypothesis above is as clear as the nose on your face. Look at the ratio of women in graduate and PhD programs. Men, this is a woman’s world, like it or not, you might as well ride the horse in the direction it’s going (Lau Tzu, apology for spelling).

      • jimbo says:

        This is about as certain as any business making things and lacking international presence is likewise in a similar death spiral. (The last six words of this sentence were accidentally omitted above.)

  9. T. Rollie says:

    the newest 1200 V-Twins are essentially the new 750-Fours. Outstanding performance, balance, flexibility, choices. Please, America, buy some 1200 V-Twin standards, motos, adventure bikes from Ducati, Aprilia, Harley, KTM, Guzzi, or we’ll be stuck with only supersports and cruisers again…

    • Rudolf says:

      Too bad nobody can afford them!

      • jimbo says:

        Yes, very good point. I’m in the music business, high end guitars and a new accessory that we hope to be the most popular of 2011. In the high end acoustic guitar world the mid size company’s released lower cost models with sweet but low cost all-mahogany construction. It’s obvious financial conditions indicate this direction, but the mc world seems oblivious. Stupid, stupid. Have the MBA’s who brought us sub-prime mortgages and credit default swaps moved to the mc world?

        Where the heck are the nice new modern singles? A modern, underline modern, single is plenty except for two up.

  10. todd says:

    You can pick up a perfect Z750S for $3-4000, a GSXR750 for around 5, etc if you don’t mind a bike with a couple thousand miles on it already. It’s not like those got slow all of a sudden. No one I know or have come across can take any 750 to its limits – maybe that’s why they aren’t selling many new bikes. You can get one just as good for half the price. If you don’t limit yourself to what’s being offered new there is a huge number of choices available for the motorcyclist looking for another bike.

    -todd

    • jimbo says:

      Ditto. Riding even a 14 year old Suzuki GSXR750 anywhere near its limits on the street is probably a major felony in 50 states. C,mon: 70mph in 2nd gear with four gears remaining? Give me a break. The overwhelming purpose of new sport bikes is for the halo to suck in wanna be racers and nothing else. One can do nothing but me amazed at the stupidity of “new” sport bike models with ever more performance. I’m finally taking delivery of my full resto-mod 385hp/385 lb-ft 3200 lb muscle car…it has occurred to me to wonder when and where I can stretch its legs (don’t worry, I’ll find out…)

      How’ bout something like a regular street (not dual sport, but that’s nice to) version of KTM’s 530 with Wide ratio 6-speed, injected, a nice big tank, maybe a counterbalancer if it doesn’t already have one, belt drive, hydraulic valve lash adjusters, etc, etc? Do you really need more unless you’re 2-up?

    • Stuki says:

      In “sportbike meccas” like the mountains and canyons around LA, the dirty little secret is that most (well, at least many) riders are riding in groups, and are riding at the very limit of their ability just to stay with the pack. So much so, that any little improvement in their ability to keep up, feels like a major revelation, giving them ever so slight a breather from riding around literally fearing for their very lives. Until their riding buddies also upgrade, that is….. It’s an arms race.

      Of course, all of them would be much better served by spending the money on track days and riding schools if going as fast as humanly possible in relative safety was their goal; but a large share of Americans do seem to fancy getting their self improvement done at the checkout counter. And besides, once one in a given group goes to a riding school and comes back faster, the others will go as well; and then, they’re again back to square one as far as group pecking order is concerned. So the life of a squid really is one of tiny, expensive, and only temporary, moments of relief from riding around scared witless just to keep up with his buddies.

      And the thing is, a squid of any given, even if not great, ability; will ride the latest super sport faster than he will those from a decade ago; even if he is still massively slower than Valentino Rossi would be on the older bike. And thus, the arms race will go on…..

  11. mickey says:

    I guess those are very nice looking motorcycles, but these bikes all look alike to me, and at 60 years old, it’s not a look that is very appealing. I AM jealous that the young, bent over, look at me, I think I’m a road racer crowd gets all the “good” stuff. I can only imagine a GSXR based motorcycle with a relatively flat seat, higher bars, lower pegs and a rear seat and peg set up a mature pillion would actually be comfortable on. Think 81 GS1000G with a GSXR motor, brakes, suspension, electronics, ABS, 6+ gallon gas tank, gear indicator, self canceling turn signals, a decent horn, no higher than a 31″ seat height and weighing under 450 pounds wet (with shaft drive, hydraulic valves and an air filter, battery, and oil filter you can easily get to). I’ll decide what kind of after market accessories I want to dress it up with. Chances are they will never produce a bike like that though. No wonder so many guys my age are buying cruisers. What are our choices? Cruisers or sport bikes, and we older farts don’t fit too well on sport bikes.

    Until they start producing something along those lines I will stick with my ST1300 for touring, my gen 1 FZ1 for sport riding and my 750 Nighthawk for around town riding, however I’d like to own just one bike that does it all…you know, a “universal Japanese motorcycle”. They actually used to make them.

    • jimbo says:

      mickey,
      You’re preaching to the choir here, my friend.

      jimbo’s “I had a dream speech”: “I had a dream last night…in which HonYamSuzKaw hired mickey to help design their next street bike…”

    • jimbo says:

      mickey, what’s your opinion of the 2008 BMW Lo-Rider concept range, w/ its huge range of cosmetic and ergonomic options? Of every bike I know about (actual or concept) introduced in as long as I can remember, the Lo-Rider appears to be closest to my ideal street bike. It promised a superb combination of cosmetics, performance, comfort, hp/torque, acceptable weight, longevity, dealer support, options, ability to setup for just about purpose, etc, etc. If the owner desired a different look after a few years, this could be quickly fixed by ordering a different cosmetic setup (tank, exhaust, seat, body panels) at the BMW dealer. It occurs to me that owners could also just hookup on the net and swap setups, saving huge cost for a fresh new ride w/ none of the resale hassle (think about tax/registration for a $15k bike). It sucks that the financial debacle may have caused the Lo-Rider to be shelved. I certainly saw myself tooling around on one by now.

      The other absolutely nutty (in the best sense) bike that really had me drooling was Suzuki’s inline 6-cylinder concept bike. As someone smitten after riding a well tuned CBX with sport kit and 6-1 exhaust, that Suzuki looked about as close to irresistible as a bike can get. Nothing known can touch the sound and feel (or lack of feel, as in no vibration) of an inline 6, especially with the right exhaust sound. Lightning throttle response (blipping the throttle at stop lights) does not accurately define it.

      • MikeD says:

        The other absolutely nutty (in the best sense) bike that really had me drooling was Suzuki’s inline 6-cylinder concept bike. As someone smitten after riding a well tuned CBX with sport kit and 6-1 exhaust, that Suzuki looked about as close to irresistible as a bike can get.
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Yes, w/e happened to such a COOL LOOKING Bike ? How come the B-King was given the green lite and not the Stratosphere ?
        They even had a running mule, i think if u YouTube it someone must still have it up to watch it.
        How’s the B-King more swallow-able by the masses than the Stratosphere Concept ? Hope someone with some power at Suzuki sees this and think about it twice to bring it back.
        Maybe BMW Will put some pressure on the others OEM’s once they roll out their amazing I-6’s AND THEN we’ll have our way. lol.

    • Zombo says:

      A DL1000 V Strom would take the place of all three of those bikes provided you do not have a short inseam .

      http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/289/1656/Motorcycle-Article/Memorable-MC-Suzuki-DL-1000-V-Strom.aspx

    • carboncanyon says:

      450 pounds wet with a 6+ gallon tank, GSXR motor and shaft drive??? They won’t make it cuz it’ll cost a bundle in titanium and carbon fiber parts to get it down to that weight.

  12. Rudolf says:

    You can’t please all of the people, all of the time…. What many riders scoff at, others fall asleep at night dreaming about. True, they usually detune these semi-naked bikes, but the folks that buy them know that and realize that 98% of the riders out there can’t use the full potential of any of the high-performance bikes on the street anyways. You have to go to the track, a place where the seating position and stiff race suspension begin to make sense. I think it’s great that they offer something for every rider these days and the only question is how can we afford these bikes in this faltering economy?

  13. Austin ZZR 1200 says:

    I have to agree with some of the previous comments, love the idea of a torquey 750 standard/sport, love the look of the Kawi…but the Gixxer…they are designing it from the ground up but why make it as hideous (maybe worse) than the last generation? Looks alone have prevented me from buying on in the past…

  14. dan says:

    Does Suzuki sell many of the new Bandit 1250s here in the US? Sales of those should be an indicator for the success of future standards in this country.

  15. Scott in the UK says:

    Simon I am not sure they are aiming for a long term owner. I’m a long term owner – I’ll never sell my Guzzi but I may buy another one when the time is right (5 years from now). As you say by making these naked bikes less practical than my Breva750 (though more than twice as powerful) the serious, touring, commited motorcyclist (you know goes to rallies, camps, waves back, helps stranded bikers at the side of the road) these guys will not want these bikes.

    I’m pretty enthusiastic about the CB1100F myself – love the looks of it and the thought that has gone into it.

  16. ohio says:

    Triumph has shown pretty poignantly that there IS a market for middleweight standards with high-end components: the street triple and street triple R received rave reviews and are posting decent sales numbers considering distributorship. I don’t know why the Big 4 insist on standards being detuned and dumbed down in the chassis, brakes, and suspension departments. Maybe the reason japanese middleweights don’t sell over here is because the middleweights the Big 4 produce are crappy (except for the GSX-R750).

    Big 4, take note from Ducati, Triumph, MV Agusta, Aprilia, KTM… your sport nakeds should be lighter, not heavier than your faired sport bikes. Your mid-displacement bikes should be lighter, not heavier than your full-displacement bikes. And they should carry components of equal performance and quality as the race replicas, just optimized for nasty public roads vs groomed race tracks.

    • MikeD says:

      Big 4, take note from Ducati, Triumph, MV Agusta, Aprilia, KTM… your sport nakeds should be lighter, not heavier than your faired sport bikes. Your mid-displacement bikes should be lighter, not heavier than your full-displacement bikes. And they should carry components of equal performance and quality as the race replicas, just optimized for nasty public roads vs groomed race tracks.

      Amen to THAT!

  17. BoxerFanatic says:

    More 700-900cc size V-twins and Triples are nice.

    With tech and manufacturing advancements, a mid-size ~750cc bike could have as much power as 5-year old 1000cc bikes, and likewise weigh as little as 5-year old 600cc bikes.

    Honda would likely never build a new Hawk, between the NT650 Hawk GT, and the 996cc VTR1000 Superhawk.

    Suzuki should succeed the SV650S with an SV750S with SV1000S/GSXR suspension equipment, and leave the Gladius at 650ccs as entry level.

    By the comment above, Race-replica riders probably don’t want un-faired bikes. Let them have their 600-750-1000-1400 faired and crouch-position bikes.

    Some sport bike riders aren’t 22 years old anymore, and want something a bit more comfortable, something less frenetic, but still very fast, very fun, and very flexible, and not a cruiser bike, and although retro is nice, modern shouldn’t be ignored for that segment.

  18. Don S. says:

    A very prescient reply, Simon E. I hope the manufacturers and aftermarket industry moguls read it!

  19. Pat McDonald says:

    I agree 100%. Bring back and continue the gsxr750 legacy! ! ! I have owned the 88 the 97 the 2001 the 04 and I currently own the new 2009 gsxr 750. I have owned other sportbikes and the 750 is by far the best all around sportbike. I smoke 600’s and 1000’s out at the racetrack. God bless Europeans for keeping motorcycle sales alive. Americans need to get there heads screwed on right and stop buying these gas guzzling metal boxes with wheels. I cant wait until gas prices hit 7 -10 $ a gallon. Then maybe americans might think buying a bike that gets 50 plus miles to the gallon might not be a bad idea.

    • Mark S. says:

      I think that for us Americans who live in the Midwest, it’s hard to justify using a motorcycle as a viable means of transportation when it snows 4 mos a year. Sure, if you live in the south or in California you can get away with it, but there’s a big part of America that gets sub-zero temps and several feet of snow in the winter. Plus, it’s hard to get your kids on the back of a motorcycle:)

      So yeah, even at $7/gal it’s not necessarily a good idea.

    • Jeff R says:

      Mark, ever been to Europe, Africa, India, Mexico, or South America? People do their grocery shopping with M/C’s. Kids and daycare, find one closer to home and walk them there (adds exercise).

      Funny I was scrolling down through the comments and was thinking the exact same thing as Pat had already written. Fact is Americans want the biggest thing out there. We (most anyway) have no interest in learning how to ride it properly, especially since we’re only going to ride to the local hangout (if the weather is nice).

      Fact is if we would learn to ride a M/C correctly a 400cc would be more than adequate for most. I’ve seen plenty of FZR400’s embarrass the heck out of new sport bikes. The 750’s do offer a nice blend of power and size (still more than most need).

      Personally I wish the manufacturers would jointly abolish the current classes and resize the market. 600’s would become 400’s amd 1000’s become 800’s, eventually we would have lighter more nimble machines producing similar power. In todays age does anyone really need 180hp on a 400lb machine. I just finished a two up ride with Jason Pridmore on a GSXR100 the ride was totally insane, great on a racetrack but what is the purpose on a street?

      • Mark S. says:

        Jeff, I haven’t been to any of those countries you mentioned, but that’s my point. People in other countries have a different system and it works well for them. I got snowed in my subdivision last winter so I can’t imagine having a motorcycle as my only means of transportation. It’s not about the size of the bike for me, it’s about the environment, which was all I was trying to point out. Maybe I’m just a sissy, but living in the plains/midwest makes it tough to ride year round. If I absolutely had to I’m sure I could find a way to make it work, but why would I do so otherwise, ya know? Especially if I could get better value out of a Honda Civic or something.

        I agree that we may have a case of bigger is better in America, but I also do a lot of my riding on the interstate at 80 MPH so a little more power (than my 500cc parallel twin) is sort of nice. I suppose that if I lived in the city limits and did most of my riding in traffic, I’d probably buy a Honda 599 (Hornet), but I live way out so it makes the choice a little tougher.

  20. William says:

    The last bike like this that I bought was a CB700 Nighthawk S. It only had a little quarter fairing but otherwise was a UJM in every way (even had a shaft drive!). If Honda released it today, I would buy it again.

    I believe the cruiser era is drawing down now. Harley’s sales are way off and the more retro their designs get, the less they will sell to younger riders. It looks like “Adventure” or dual-sport bikes popularity is on the rise. Hopefully these will really appeal to new or younger riders.

    I have spoken to many of my son’s friends (most ride sport bikes) about what they would buy next and mostly they liked Japanese bikes like the FZ’s and Ninjas, but they said as they get older they would consider sport touring bikes. None mentioned wanting a cruiser at all.

    I am personally looking forward to the new Triumph mid sized adventure bike (mini Tiger?).

  21. jorge says:

    I like the look of the Kawasaki in the photo. At least Kawasaki can do some nice styling and has the ability to use colors well. I’m not a big fan of inline fours but that one looks hot.

  22. MikeD says:

    Z750R: Coolness, not cheap loking.

    GSR750: TOTAL Manure. Whats the point of designing a good looking bike when at the end u decide to use a swing arm made out of scrap rectangular section steel ? It Screams CHEAP and SHITTY, i wonder where else they have cut huge corners ? Maybe Suzuki should have a HARD look at the FZ8, while it may not have FULLY adjustable suspension like the z750r it does have a real swing arm.

    GsxR’s: Nothing to see Folks, move along… Same bikes just Sharper Fairings (SAME Girl, Different Clothes).
    Hope im wrong, they look to have been around forever now.
    Hope the 750 comes back too.
    I think asking for more than a “fairing refresh” on these tuff economic times from Suzuki is just mental masturbation. Again, hope im wrong.

    @Simon: As i was reading in some forum the other day, the NEW UJM’s seem to be the Dual-Sports we have today here {Super10, V Stroms, KLRs, DRs, Future Aprilia and Honda Big Duals, KTM SM-T 990, etc).
    True UJMs will always be far and few for the U.S.A .

  23. ROGER EGGLER says:

    Why is it that Triumph is the onlyone that has figured it out. Example: Street Triple, available as a standard model and R model. Both have the same frame as the Daytona 675. R model has the same suspension. Why can’t the Japanese give us the same thing. Standard Street Triple lists for $2000 less than the Daytona. Yes, it’s “de-tuned” but so what? It is an awesome bike and falls into the “standard motorcycle” category for insurance purposes. Cheaper to buy, cheaper to insure, practical, comfortable and a blast to ride. What else matters?

  24. Bud says:

    Does the GSR 750 turn into a decepticon?

    • kpaul says:

      You are a decepticon Bud. 🙂

      • Bud says:

        You now, the thing is, I like the “bones” of it. But everything the styling team got ahold of (tank/radiator shroud, seat, tailpiece, “fairing”, front fender, muffler cover) makes me cringe. I’m really eager to see this styling theme of angles and creases run its course.

        • kpaul says:

          Understand I like the curves of the old Ducati Monster myself. Seems they look better with age too. Saw one today on my ride and I love the sound.

  25. zeus xarras says:

    i don’t know what makes these motorcycle manufacture’s think that a super sport rider wants to ride a naked boring sport bike!! make a super sport bike affortable!! and the U.S.A. will buy it. stop trying to stuff these !@!@##$$#! bikes down our throats, there are ugly and i’m not 50 yet!! and made a god dame! 450 super motard allready, how hard can it be??? there must be deaf and blind in Japan

  26. zeus xarras says:

    It’s true the gsxr 600 and 750 do look boring

  27. Mark says:

    Why do they always have to add the “budget” suspension?

    I would sign up for a GSR750 in a minute, if they kept the upgraded suspenders. After many rants here, that is the one item which always makes me loose interest….

  28. MGNorge says:

    Like most TV shows today, motorcycle companies seem to have lost their way. Here in the US it might be different if more people used their bikes for basic transportation but that’s the exception, not the rule. Motorcycles are toys here just like skimobiles, quads, boats and any number of other things we don’t really have to have. It’s a “want” thing and consumers have to want. In these economic times reality sinks in and the toys have to take a back seat. But even so I wouldn’t expect the manufacturers to just roll over. But they have taken a hit too just like consumers. Back when I consider motorcycling to be in its glory years, the 60’s and 70’s, it was like Christmas time each year when the new bikes rolled out. It was truly exciting. It had all kinds of people seaching for ways to afford that next bike. It doesn’t seem like that’s the case anymore. Maybe it’s just me getting older but fewer of today’s bikes truly excite me. They seem to be conceived by people out of touch and by the time they do hit the market they often have people scratching their heads on their intended purpose. As for the naked bikes of today, I don’t see them as being the jack of all trades that bikes were back when. However, the one bike that caught my eye on its conception and execution is the Honda CB1100F recently introduced I believe in Japan, Australlia and perhaps going to Europe. Chances it comes to the States……zip! But when I saw it in pictures and subsequently on YouTube in promotional videos it was one of the few times in years that I felt that here was a real honest to goodness bike, like in the past, that could be tailored just like in the past. No overt pretensions there. Just looked like good honest fun with a look of practicality to justify its place in the garage!

  29. Bill says:

    I agree to some respect. Motorcycle ownership is becoming harder and harder to justify from my wallet’s perspective. I have read repeatedly how inexpensive/simple bikes like the DR650 or Vstrom get everything done (and in some cases better) than most all other bikes. And a 600 displacement sport bike for ten thousand? It seems like the manufacturers are narrowing their customer niche more and more every year.

  30. Simon Evans says:

    What the Manufacturers appear to have forgotten about `nakeds` is that they weren’t naked when they were the heart and soul of the market – they were Universal Japanese Motorcycles… Motorcycles which were a `bare bones bike` which one could accessorize to one’s own tastes to make it into something more attuned for the individual needs. Wanna sport bike? Fit lower bars, trick exhaust and some upgraded suspension. Want a tourer? Fit a large fairing and panniers. Customise streetbike? Renthals, mini indicators, rear jack-up kit and a fendaremover…

    In the rush to whip the fairings off sports bikes and detune their motors, there appears to have been a loss of focus on what these types of machine actually represent. A low-cost initial purchase to which one can add bits as the budget and desire permits. HOW important is that in todays’ financial climate?
    So where are the fifty-page accessory catalogues? The tie-ins with the big parts players? These bikes do not sell because they are nakeds, 750’s, light or cheap.

    They sell because they represent an involvement in the medium to long-term ownership potential.

    Unless the manufacturers address this there is NO market for street nakeds…

    • Steve P says:

      I agree with Simon Evans. I think a 750 is a perfect size. I’d like to see a 750 Bandit style that would be versatile and street worthy versus track ready. A bike that could be customized to the owner’s preference with a wide variety of options including saddle, handle bars, fairing,windscreen, exhaust, suspension, and luggage etc.

  31. Tyler says:

    The “GSXR” hardly looks new at all. Someone needs to take out the Suzuki design engineers. Booooring.

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